Who was Walter Levy & why is the annual residential Christmas Light-up Contest named for him?
Walter was bigger than life. He was present in his community & a stalwart mentor when it came to giving back to community. I looked up to him & will always be grateful for the lessons he taught & the time he gave so freely. If something needed doing & Walter could help, he did.
Walter emigrated to Canada from Germany in 1951, working in Edmonton & then Clearwater. He came to Vancouver in 1953 & worked as a bricklayer. Walter met Afke Groenhof at the Alpen Hall in Vancouver & they married in December 1954, having 5 children: Henry, Bob, Walter Jr, Anny & Betty.
In 1961 they moved to a small chicken farm at Otter. Walter continued bricklaying & in 1966 they moved to acreage on 264th south of 24th.
Walter loved singing & playing guitar. He organized 2 bands, the Continentals & Country Gold, which included sons Bob & Wally.
Walter & his sons were involved in motocross, so he leased the Township gravel pit next to Jackman Landfill to start Little Rock Raceway. He obtained Canadian Motorcycle Association sanctioning for the races & was race referee at the Little Rock & Mission Raceways.
Every year the Levys put up a huge Christmas display that included a Nativity scene, Disney characters & Santa Claus. After his passing in December 1999, Festival Days named the residential Christmas Light-up Contest in Walter’s honour.
Walter's community involvement in brief:
-1965 became leader of 1st Otter Scouts & helped build McLean Scout Park
-1968 joined Aldergrove Elks & chaired the bingo & Christmas hamper committees, organized Christmas dinners for the needy, worked on the Aldergrove Park Children's waterpark & the restoration of Shortreed cabin at Aldergrove Lake.
-an executive member with Aldergrove Chamber of Commerce
-a director with Festival Days Society
-a member of Alder Grove Heritage Society
-helped restore FJ Hart/BC Tel building
-soccer coach
-organized motocross schools for kids
- received the Hilda Reddick Memorial Community Service Award & the Eric Flowerdew Volunteer of the Year Award + many other recognitions
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